


kiss me slow (your heart is all i own)

by nickofhearts



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: M/M, Shapeshifting, Snow leopards
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-09
Updated: 2017-11-09
Packaged: 2019-01-31 05:06:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12675015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nickofhearts/pseuds/nickofhearts
Summary: Noctis is the youngest prince of Galahd, and a shapeshifter with the form of a snow leopard. Nyx is a zookeeper at the national zoo, where three little snow leopard cubs have just been born.





	1. dancing in the dark

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dreamingcicadas](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamingcicadas/gifts).



**I.**

"Are you _really_ going to name them that?" Crowe asked, raising an entirely uncalled for eyebrow at Nyx that was judging everything he was.

"They're our national treasures, just like the prince!" Nyx protested.

It was even—in a manner of speaking—true. The majestic snow leopard had long adorned Galahd's national flag in silhouette, but the creatures had been hunted almost to extinction for their beautiful pelts, and were now on an endangered list with their total numbers ranging in the low hundreds. The three tiny cubs that had been born to the zoo's resident mated pair were a triumph of unrivaled success.

Crowe rolled her eyes at him. "Whatever you say, _Nyx._ "

And thus it was that Nox, Lux and Caelum were officially christened, the cubs named in honor of Galahd's royal highness, Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum.

-

Nyx had stayed after hours to monitor Lux, who'd been sneezing every ten minutes or so since he'd dashed through all the puddles in the enclosure that'd been left after the brief rain shower earlier in the day. He _knew_ he shouldn't have Lux play in them for so long. Why couldn't he be more like his brothers, Nyx lamented for the nth time. Caelum and Nox were cuddled together in a high dry spot, and _they_ weren't sneezing uncontrollably.

" _p'tcho!_ " Lux let out, tumbling over himself with the force of the sneeze.

Nyx sighed and went to get a blanket to wrap him in. Hopefully it was only a few sniffles and Lux hadn't gotten himself sick.

When Nyx came back with the blanket in hand, he almost dropped it on the floor in shock. Was that—an almost fully-grown snow leopard that was nuzzling with Nox and Caelum? And even Lux had pranced up to it to touch noses in greeting, grumbling a little when it held him down with a paw and started bathing him with its tongue, but squirming less than anytime Nyx had tried to rub him down all afternoon. What—where had the strange snow leopard _come_ from?

The walls of the enclosure were too high for one to have just jumped over, and anyways, wild snow leopards weren't in the habit of just wandering into zoo exhibits.

Nyx watched in amazement as the larger snow leopard finished with Lux but dragged him back by the scruff when Lux immediately tried to dart off again to play in the puddles again. Lux was chuffed gently over the head with a paw almost as big as he was and deposited back with his brothers.

Nyx smiled at the sight. That was just— _adorable._

It wasn't that the cubs' mother had abandoned them, but just that she hadn't quite known what to do with them, having spent most of her own life in the zoo. Her maternal instincts hadn't quite kicked in, and Nyx and the other keepers had had to pick up most of the slack. Well, Nyx thought, maybe there was a hole in the enclosure somewhere and this one had heard the cries of young cubs? He'd have to get Libs to check it out when he got in, but for the moment, the older leopard didn't seem to be doing any harm. In fact, it had done what Nyx hadn't accomplished all afternoon—gotten Lux to _finally_ settle in for a nap with his brothers instead of darting all over and drenching himself in rainwater.

Nyx watched them awhile longer, wondering if they could _keep_ this strange snow leopard that had wandered in. He could definitely use the help with the triplets...

-

Nyx snapped awake with a jolt. He hadn't meant to fall asleep, especially not drooling leaned against the glass of the snow leopard habitat where he'd been watching the interactions of the mysterious stranger with the cubs. The older snow leopard wasn't anywhere to be seen now, but there _was_ a naked young man that was now cuddling with the triplets in almost the same way.

A very _familiar_ naked young man.

" _Prince Noctis?!_ " Nyx yelled in shocked surprise.

Noct blinked up at Nyx with a deer-in-headlights expression. "Shit, um, hi?" He gently set the babies he'd been letting paw at his face down on the ground and gave Nyx a sheepish look. "Please don't tell my dad?"

Nyx nodded slowly, not trusting himself with any kind of verbal response.

It was taking all the willpower Nyx had not to drink in the sight of the very attractive young man he'd been obsessing over for the better part of a year, who had suddenly bloomed into adulthood with the kind of grace and splendor of—well, of a snow leopard himself. It wasn't exactly public knowledge that the royal family had shifter blood in their veins, but more of an open secret that Galahdians kept closely guarded amongst themselves.

" _Oh,_ um," Noct had noticed Nyx very pointedly not looking at him. "Gimme a sec."

He darted off into the bushes—Nyx did _not,_ he did not peek just a little to check out the curve of his highness's royal ass—and came back dressed in the customary t-shirt and khakis in royal black that he was known for.

"Your highness—" Nyx bowed his head stiffly.

"Ugh, no need," Noct interrupted him. He gathered the cubs back up into his lap and was playfully waving his hands at them to let them pounce at his fingers. "Just Noct, yeah?" He suddenly scooped them all up and hugged them to his face, rubbing his cheek against the cubs' soft little bodies while they squeaked at him. "These guys are almost family, aren't you, you little cuties?" A disgruntled Lux was set down before Noct could be clawed in the face, though Nox and Caelum seemed happy enough to nestle against him purring.

Noct glanced up at Nyx again, giving him a shy smile that had Nyx's heart melting into a puddle. _This_ was the prince that couldn't be seen on televised broadcasts. "I just wanted to say hi, since they were named after me and all."

He poked Lux in the tummy, snatching his fingers away before Lux could bite him in annoyance. "And also because you're all so godsdamned cute, aren't youuu."

Nyx really _really_ wished he could snap a picture of the prince cuddling the three little snow leopard cubs so he could preserve the moment forever, but Noct would probably get the wrong idea. He tried to etch the image into his memory instead before he carefully cleared his throat.

"You're welcome to visit anytime, your h—Noct."

Noct grinned at him. "Thanks—" he squinted at Nyx's nametag on his uniform. "Zookeeper Nyx."

Nyx felt his cheeks heating. It was just his name, but somehow hearing it out of Noct's mouth had made it sound like something new and exotic. _He's just a person,_ Nyx thought at himself in a very Crowe-like voice, _nothing to get nervous or excited about._

Nyx was the one squeaking when Noct picked up a little plush doll from the cubs' usual nesting area and held it up to Nyx.

"Is this—me?" he asked with a sort of adorably puzzled expression.

It _was,_ and Nyx really wanted the ground to swallow him up so he didn't have to explain to Noct how it was his, and he'd given it to the cubs because Crowe had told him they were always crying whenever he left for a few hours to catch some sleep and a quick shower. It'd just been the first thing that'd come to mind that the babies might find comforting in Nyx's absence, since he—a grown man who had a good many things to be ashamed of—usually slept with it tucked against him in bed.

Libertus had made it for him as a _joke,_ but it really was soft and snuggly, and Nyx—quickly changed the subject.

"It's—you know, the cubs have each other, of course, but it's nice for them to have a little comfort object, and anyways—" Nyx cleared his throat again. "They seem to really like you, so you should definitely feel free to stop by anytime." Nyx rummaged around in a pocket and found a piece of scrap paper that he quickly scribbled his number on. "I'm usually here, but if you want to give me a heads up when you're planning to drop in, I can officially let you in the front door—if uh, if you want."

He held it out to Noct and wished again for the ground to swallow him up. Had that been overeager? Oh gods, did Noct think he was some kind of creep giving him his number? Nyx almost took his hand back, but Noct grabbed the slip of paper before he could.

He smiled that smile that made Nyx's heart stop again before he took Nyx's hand and also his pen and wrote—wait, was that _Noct's_ number?—on his palm.

"I don't know if I'll have time to see them regularly," he said with a little frown, like it really did pain him that he had so many other things on his schedule, "but can you keep me updated?" He bit his lip and Nyx almost combusted suddenly imagining him biting it _under other circumstances,_ but quickly tuned back in to catch Noct snuggling the plushie—of _himself_ —against his face like one of the cubs.

"It _is_ comfortable," Noct said slowly. "And it also smells like _you,_ Nyx."

Nyx made a sound that couldn't possibly have registered on the human scale, but Noct just flashed him a smile that was almost _filthy_ this time, and then a large snow leopard was speeding towards the back of the enclosure and had vanished before Nyx could make any arguments in his defense—not that there were any that could have been made, with that kind of evidence.

"Did I...just imagine all that?" Nyx wondered in a dreamy kind of daze. He was snapped out of it when Lux's already quite sharp teeth pricked his ankle.

" _mew!_ " Lux demanded, which was Lux-speak for: "I'm hungry!"

Nyx went to heat up some milk for him, and for the other two cubs that were probably also getting hungry, only they were less vocal or aggressive about it than the youngest of the three. Nyx caught a glimpse of his palm as he was capping the bottle to feed Lux with and almost dropped it in surprise.

It _hadn't_ been a dream.

 

**II.**

Nyx agonized over what to send the prince. Had he—really meant it when he said he wanted updates on the cubs? He'd seemed to really like them, but he was _the prince,_ and princes didn't just go around giving their telephone numbers to random zookeepers, did they? Was it really _his_ number he'd given Nyx? Nyx had a sudden flash of himself calling the number Noct had written on his palm and being told off by the prince's rather intimidating advisor for being a creep and to never contact much less _think_ about the prince ever again.

He sweated over it until late in the afternoon, when Lux had somehow gotten himself stuck halfway down a hole.

Nyx was almost rolling on the ground with laughter as Lux's fluffly little bum wriggled in the air, his frustrated mewling cries calling his brothers over to see what the commotion was. Caelum padded to him and grabbed Lux around the middle with his jaws to try and pull him out that way, but his grip slipped and he'd flopped over onto his back instead, looking confused about what'd happened. Nox was watching Lux's tail lash back and forth in the air like it was a long fluffy snake, and suddenly jumped for it, chomping down with his teeth and making Lux _yowl_ in anger.

"Oh my _gods,_ " Nyx laughed to himself. He stopped the recording and finally set his phone aside.

"Calm down, Lux," Nyx spoke in a gentle voice as he eased Nox aside and slid his hands around Lux's warm little form to see where he'd gotten himself stuck. "Let's get you out of there, yeah?" He pushed and tugged at the sides of the hole to enlarge it, and was eventually able to slide a hissing and disgruntled Lux back out.

Lux spit angrily at his brother, who was looking at him with a peaceful expression like he _hadn't_ just been chewing on Lux's tail when he'd been unable to stop him.

Nyx smiled at their antics, soothing Lux down with nice little pets to his back and ears, brushing the dirt out of his fur as he scritched down to his belly, and Lux finally settled down enough to purr and nuzzle at Nyx's fingers. He only allowed it for a few minutes before he was nipping at them again however, eyes expectantly on Nyx like he was saying, "yes, thanks, I'm fine, now where's my afternoon snack?"

Nyx sighed and kissed Lux on the forehead before he set him back down on the ground.

All three of the cubs followed at his heels as Nyx went back inside to warm up some milk for them. They weren't _technically_ supposed to go into the back with him, but Nyx's heart couldn't take their sad little cries when he closed the door on them to prepare their meals or rustle up some supplies. He kept the area neat and tidy so there wasn't anything they could accidentally hurt themselves on, and the cubs ran excited circles around his feet as they waited for the meal they knew was coming.

Nyx laughed and sent Noct the video he'd recorded earlier of Lux's hapless little "accident" with the subtitle: "the majestic and fearsome snow leopard!"

Noct replied a short while later while Nyx was cleaning up the bottles and the cubs had all curled together for a snooze in the afternoon sun. _Hey now, Nox showed real promise attacking that most deadly foe—his brother's tail. Before you know it, he's going to be taking down fluffy bunnies and field mice by the dozen!_

Nyx laughed out loud and texted Noct a picture of the cubs now sleeping in a pile.

 _zzzzzz,_ Noct returned. _Wish I could join them. :(_

 _You're welcome anytime,_ Nyx typed out, then immediately deleted the message. That was—probably too forward. He deleted three more responses before finally just sending, _Awwww, don't work too hard, your highness._

Noct only returned a smiley face, but Nyx felt warmed all over by it.

-

It wasn't—it was just—Nyx really liked the cubs, and he liked sharing them with Noct, who genuinely seemed to appreciate all the updates Nyx sent him of their daily activities and growing pains. This week, they'd switched the cubs out to a solid diet, and Nox had somehow managed to break a tooth in his first few bites.

He'd sulked about it all day, growling at Lux who kept trying to get in close and nuzzle—though Nyx had the feeling he was only trying to get a closer look at Nox's gap-toothed grin and Nox had also seen through the ruse.

Nyx shook his head at their antics and texted Noct about this latest development. He'd make sure to grab a picture when Nox was feeling less self-conscious about the whole thing. It _was_ cute, and Nyx would make sure to cuddle him an extra amount later when it was less likely that Nox would try to stab his eye out if Nyx picked him up.

Noct usually replied within a few minutes and sometimes even shared anecdotes of his own childhood with Nyx.

It wasn't—it _was_ —Nyx had already had a hopeless crush on the prince when he hadn't even known him, and now it was exacerbated by how cute and adorable Nyx knew he actually was. It wasn't _proper,_ but it wasn't like Nyx was just going to throw himself at the prince when he knew his affections weren't returned. They were just—texting buddies, and Nyx would send him all the updates about the cubs for as long as Noct wanted hi—them.

-

"Who've you been texting so much lately?" Libertus asked when Nyx was smiling down at his phone for the dozenth time that day.

"No—one," Nyx babbled quickly. Noct hadn't wanted anyone to know he'd snuck in to visit the cubs, so Nyx assumed he didn't want anyone to know he'd been texting one of the zookeepers for updates on them either. It was probably really difficult being the prince, where every one of his actions would be analyzed and broken apart by the press. Nyx, if he was being honest, also enjoyed the secrecy of it. He felt a little like a spy, passing classified information to the upper ranks.

"Let's see," Crowe cut in, snatching Nyx's phone right out of his hand before he could react. "Hmmmm, these are all from—a _Prince Noctis?_ "

Libs and her exchanged a glance.

"Uh, Nyx—" Libertus started.

"You know that people who say they're Prince Noctis online aren't _actually_ the prince, right?" Crowe went directly to the point. She handed Nyx's phone back, but was eyeing him judgementally again, like she was _disappointed_ by his naïveté.

"It's—it's actually the prince!" Nyx spluttered, all thoughts of cladestine spy activities forgotten. His _pride_ was on the line.

"Okay buddy," Libertus told him, patting him on the back. "Don't meet the _prince_ in any shady bars or back alleys, alright?"

"Don't get murdered," Crowe, again, cutting directly to the chase.

Nyx pouted at the both of them and then stomped off to cuddle the snow leopard cubs, who were getting less and less _little_ by the day. _They_ knew Nyx had met the prince! They knew he wasn't chatting up some random stranger he'd met on a dating app that was pretending to be royalty! Nyx huffed into Nox's fluffy belly, and Nox even patted him on the face with a paw, like he knew Nyx needed the comfort.

"Thanks Nox," Nyx mumbled. He loved the cubs so much sometimes he felt like his heart would burst.

 

**III.**

_Hey, Nyx?_ Noct texted him a few months into their correspondence. He hadn't had time to stop in for a visit since the first time, but Nyx had set up video chats a few times so Noct could say hi to the cubs sort-of in person. Nox had Lux had left scratches on the screen pawing at it, though Caelum usually just yawned disinterestedly. What was so interesting about a picture?

Nyx was smilng at the memory, and was taken completely off guard by the next text that came through.

_You wanna come by the palace this Friday for a private tour?_

Nyx blinked. Was Noct—no, that had to be his crush talking. He probably just wanted to see the cubs, and they _were_ old enough now to be taken out for social calls, which he was sure Noct knew better than even Nyx and was why he'd brought it up.

 _Sure, the cubs would love to see you!_ he typed back. _Can you put in a formal request with Gentiana? I'm sure she'd keep it hush hush if you asked._

There were a few minutes of silence where Nyx fretted nervously before a reply came through. Had he overstepped? Had Noct thought Nyx could just sneak the cubs out for a visit? He probably could have, the cubs would generally behave themselves if Nyx made it clear that it was serious business. Oh gods, why had he even asked?

_Actually, I was thinking just you? I'll have time to visit the zoo again in a few weeks, but you've been really nice about everything and I know you're a fan of the royal office ;3_

_Oh,_ Nyx thought, heart pounding. That was—he went red thinking about Noct snuggling the little plushie of himself, but if Noct just thought Nyx was a fan of royalty in general, that was—totally fine, right? _I'd love to!!!_ Nyx typed, and then quickly hit send before he could overthink it and Noct would get the wrong idea when Nyx took an hour to reply.

 _Awesome!_ came back immediately, and then, _I'll tell Cor to expect you,_ followed by, _he's the Marshal, but you knew that already, right?_

Nyx had to pinch himself hard to be sure he wasn't dreaming the whole exchange, but that really hurt, so it probably _was_ real after all, as unbelievable as it all was. Noct had invited him to the castle for a tour. Okay, yes, there actually were public tours at the palace and Nyx had actually been on them a few times now, because the palace was a fucking amazing feat of ingenious architecture, not for any creepy reason like Libertus always side-eyed him about, but it would definitely be different with Noct himself— _the prince_ —showing Nyx around.

 _Haha, I did know that, I'm a well-informed Galahdian citizen, Noct,_ Nyx sent back while he suppressed his very mature urge to suddenly jump up and down while screaming gleefully.

 _Seeya soon!_ Noct answered, and Nyx stared at his phone in some kind of disbelief about the whole thing until a snow leopard cub ran straight at the back of his knees and then blinked up at Nyx in disgruntlement like he was the one at fault that they were now lying splayed on the ground.

Caelum yawned wide at him and licked his teeth, which was _his_ way of indicating he was ready for mealtime.

Nyx shook his head at the cub and then snapped into a smart salute. "Whatever his highness wishes!"

Nyx's antics were ignored by the cub, who only had an eye for his next meal or the best place for a nap, though he could usually be dragged by the other two into a game of tag and pounce. By the time Nyx had their bowls of raw meat ready to be set out, all three cubs were sitting attentively awaiting his service, every inch as regal as their princely namesake.

-

"This is, you know, the atrium, depicting the everlasting battle of the forces of light and dark," Noct intoned like he'd heard it so many times the words were now meaningless to him. He quickly escorted Nyx past all the public areas of the royal palace and into back hallways that were no less ostentatious for not seeing general use. Nyx was awed by the gilded wallpaper, the centuries of portraits that lined the walls, but Noct dragged him along at a breakneck speed and didn't give him any time to peruse them, stopping finally at a set of dark oaken double doors.

"And _this—_ " Noct pushed them open—"is my bedroom."

Nyx stared dumbly at the scene before him, but had barely any time to take in the large flatscreen tv, or the multiple game systems that were messily set up beneath it, or that Noct's bed was a legitimate canopied thing with four posts like something out of the middle ages, before he was being shoved towards and then _onto_ it, Noct growling into his ear.

"You're kind of _obvious,_ Zookeeper Nyx."

Nyx shivered all over when Noct suddenly bit him on the ear with too-sharp canines, and then he was being pounced by a still growling princeling, whose eyes were still blue but _slitted,_ two fluffy ears poking out of his hair.

"I can't believe you named three _snow leopards_ after me," and then Nyx was getting kissed within an inch of his life and had no capacity left for _thinking._


	2. naming day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noctis is the youngest of the royal family.

It was a rare occasion that the whole of the Caelum family was ever gathered in one place, and generally happened only once a year on the country's national holiday, where they would preside over the festivities and eventually retire from the public eye for a private party of their own. Noct had so many brothers and sisters and cousins and aunts and uncles that it was entirely unfeasible for them to celebrate individual birthdays or events, and what they did instead was to lump it all into this one day of the year when the whole family was gathered. Coincidentally for Noct, the day actually _was_ his birthday, and he was also spoiled an extra amount for being the youngest of the royal brood. 

This year was extra special, with the birth of the three little snow leopards at the zoo just two weeks past. The ferocious and majestic snow leopard had long been a symbol of Galahd's might, and welcoming three into the world with their national holiday was a great and fortunate sign.

Noct was so excited to go and see them when they were big enough for playing with that his ears and tail popped out without his conscious intent, and the 'baby' of the family was immediately beset by the two older brothers standing closest to him—Augustus tweaked his ears while Julius tugged on his tail, and Noct hissed and snapped his teeth at them only to be completely ignored as Augustus then grabbed him in a headlock and _messed up his hair._

" _Warghhhhhh!!!_ " Noct whined at them, ears going flat against his head in a sulk.

"Come _on,_ little brother, don't you have full control of your shift yet?" Julius shook his head at Noct in mock concern. "I knew we shouldn't have let you spend so much time as a cub."

"Maybe we should put him in the zoo with the other babies," Augustus remarked, grunting when Noct finally broke his hold and darted far enough out of range that he couldn't get grabbed again. 

Noct grumbled unflattering things about the both of them under his breath as he tried to undo the damage to his hair. He smoothed his ears back down until they'd disappeared again, then his tail, even as his brothers smirked at him knowingly.

"Ignore these brutes, Noct!" Livia appeared at his shoulder to say. She nuzzled at his hair. " _I_ think your ears are wondrous!"

Noct went a little red. Livia was married to Augustus, who _knew_ why, because she was soft and gentle and always smelled of violets, and she was just that much taller than him that any hugs from her basically planted his face in her chest. He didn't have a crush on her or anything, it was just—he was a teenage boy with _hormones,_ and his ears popped out again with his embarrassment. 

Livia crowed happily though, scritching at them and drawing Noct with her as they all gathered in front of the high wall where a projection had been set up so they could all watch the broadcast from the zoo. 

Noct made a sound he would never in a million years admit to at the sight of the tiny little snow leopards appearing on the screen. They were just so _small,_ like little fluffy fuzzballs that fit into the zookeeper's hands. Thankfully, the rest of the family were also rumbling soft coos or purrs as the cubs were gently corralled and pointed at the cameras. Someone's throat cleared, and the cubs were individually held up as they were introduced live to the world, their little paws being waved at the camera: _Nox, Lux,_ and _Caelum._

There was silence for a moment before conversation started again with a buzz.

"Oh _dear,_ Noct," Livia was giggling in his ear. "Did they name all _three_ after you? I'd say someone at the zoo is a _fan._ " 

"Wh-what?!" Noct yelped. "That's not—"

"Nox, Lux and Caelum?" Augustus broke in from his other side. He kissed his wife on the cheek before pointedly tugging her hands away from Noct's ears. Livia pouted at him but let herself be pulled away and into his arms instead. "They might as _well_ have just named them Noctis, Lucis, and Caelum."

Noct blushed at the thought that someone liked him so much that they'd name three _snow leopards_ after him, Galahd's national symbol. 

He was only the youngest of the family, and hadn't even done anything worth remark yet! It made him feel warm all over that someone had noticed _him_ over his brothers and sisters, who'd all accomplished great feats in varying public arenas. Noct was still only in his second year of high school, and was lamented over daily by private tutors who bemoaned his inability to focus on any one topic for any length of time. 

_Ugh,_ Noct had always thought. He was so far down the line of succession that it wasn't like he was ever going to be king. He wanted to be an _adventurer,_ like Sir Leonhart of the legends! He'd be a master fisherman and a five star hunter, tracking down only the _rarest_ of marks.

"Certainly, your highness," Ignis always remarked at him so dryly. "But perhaps just for the time being, you could make an attempt at applying Pythagoras' Theorem to this problem?"

"Arghhhh!" was Noct's usual answer to _that._ Who would need to know the angle of a triangle when they were hunting down a legendary Dread Behemoth?!?

-

Nyx was a surprise in the best of ways. He got adorably flustered at the sight of Noct playing with the cubs in his shifted back human form—Noct hadn't _quite_ mastered shifting his clothes with him, and his backpack had fallen off when he'd jumped the fence, so he'd been too lazy to go looking for it—and he was _extremely_ cute, but most important of all, he obviously cared for the little snow leopard cubs with all of his attention. 

Nox and Lux and Caelum had nothing but great things to say about their 'mum' who'd cradled them in his palms to feed them drops of milk from his fingers, who always made sure they were nice and comfortable and well supplied when he had to return to his own den in the evenings, which they didn't understand, because he could just share _theirs,_ and he always came back with strange smells that they then had to cover up again by scenting him all over.

Noct giggled at the cubs' simple concerns, explaining to them that their 'mum' sometimes needed time to himself, because didn't they also like to be apart from each other once in awhile too? The triplets nodded in understanding, touching their soft little noses to Noct's and nuzzling his cheeks to scent him. 

"Will you come play again?" Lux chirped at him excitedly, climbing over his brothers to get another turn bumping his nose against Noct's. He seemed to have recovered quickly from his sulk after Noct had licked him clean and told him no more splashing in puddles!

" _Definitely,_ " Noct told them, petting each of the cute little cubs in succession. "And when you're bigger, you can come visit me at the palace too!"

Noct picked Lux up and twirled him around, telling him: "We have a biiiig hunt each year, and the best of the hunters gets a special prize!"

"A hunt?" Nox perked up, in tandem with Lux's—"A prize? Is it something to eat?"—and Caelum flicked a ear back while yawning lazily that mum made sure they had all they could want to eat, why would they want to do more work than they had to?

Nox and Lux both pounced their brother, gnawing on his ears.

"Hunting's _fun,_ Cae!!" Nox asserted, while Lux whined that mum _didn't_ give them enough to eat, he was sooooo hungry! 

Noct covered his mouth on a giggle as he ducked into the bushes to get his clothes back on when Nyx had discovered him. Lux had sounded _just_ like Tiberius, and Noct couldn't wait to introduce them to everyone in the family when they were old enough to go hunting in the family's _special_ estate. He really wanted to introduce _Nyx_ to them too, but that was for a completely different reason.

He didn't know if it was because Nyx spent so much time around the cubs that his scent had melded with theirs permanently, or if it was just that he'd smelled good to begin with, but Noct found him _particularly_ tantalizing from the first moment he'd caught a whiff.

It was absolutely adorable too that he'd given the cubs a little plushie that was _clearly_ meant to be Noct, and it smelled so deeply of Nyx that he had to have slept with it regularly before he'd done so. Noct felt a strange sort of possessive instinct towards the man, and even though they'd only just met, he _knew—_ Nyx was going to be his mate!

-

It was good manners to _ask_ before giving anyone a mating bite, and Noct had meant to, he really really had, but Nyx had smelled _so_ good, and after all the weeks of texting and video-chatting and constant messaging back and forth, Noct had just gotten over-excited. He'd sunk his teeth into the back of Nyx's neck with the cresting of his pleasure, and clung on until he'd felt the bond snap into place—the bond that meant Nyx was _his,_ and no one else could have him, and would also connect their souls even into the beyond.

Noct smiled, purring in satisfaction. He licked at the wound to clean it of blood, then settled heavily against Nyx to doze comfortably with him until they were both ready to go again.

The bond couldn't have formed if Nyx hadn't wanted it too, and Noct was happy to know that his first impression of Nyx had been the _correct_ one. Nyx had always been meant to be his, and Noct had finally claimed him.


	3. three times nyx almost lost control, and one time he did

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nyx finds out that getting bitten by a member of the royal family has certain particular consequences.

_i._

Nyx was watching Libertus' throat bob as if it'd entranced him. He licked his teeth, hearing the rush of blood through Libs' veins, thinking of how _good_ it would taste to bite into him. The moment before Nyx would have pounced, he felt sharp little stabs of pain at his ankles.

"Mum!!" Nox scolded him. "We don't eat our minders!"

Lux nodded along, though he seemed more interested in gnawing at Nyx's heels just for the fun of it, licking at the spots of blood that'd welled up and then sinking his teeth in again.

"Lux!!" Nyx yelped at him. 

Lux blinked big blue eyes up at Nyx. "I'm _helping!_ "

 

_ii._

Nyx was on the train to work, absently considering what he'd have for dinner—steak perhaps? Raw and dripping with blood. Maybe he wouldn't even cook it, just eat it straight from the _package—_

Nyx glanced up at a sharp gasp from the woman next to him.

Her eyes were opened wide, and she quickly scurried away to the end of the train as Nyx looked at her. What—?

That was when Nyx noticed his reflection in the window across from him: a long winding _tail_ was waving languorously behind him, perhaps brought on by Nyx's bloody contemplations of his dinner? Nyx blushed and quickly shoved the misbehaving appendage back into his jeans. He didn't want to know what the woman was thinking, but refrained, just barely, from yelling across the train—

" _It's an actual tail, not a butt plug!!!_ "

 

_iii._

Gentiana was watching him with gentle concern. Crowe and Libs were standing to the side with monumentally less concern and more _judgement,_ the kind of restraints they used for the bigger cats in the preserve in their hands at the ready.

Okay, it looked bad.

Okay, Nyx had maybe grabbed the bucket of raw meat that they'd been meant to feed to the triplets out of Libertus' hand and started digging into it himself. He couldn't help one more lick at the side of his mouth to catch a few drops of blood, and his eyes flicked to the mostly empty bucket with yearning.

"Muuuuum!!" Lux was whining woefully at him. "You ate our breakfast!!"

Nox wound around Nyx's feet and nuzzled at his ankles. "Mum will get us more, right mum? He was just hungry!"

Caelum had sleepily opened one eye at the prospect of breakfast, but fallen back into a doze with all the commotion that _wasn't_ a bowl of fresh meat being served up to him. He covered his face with a paw, as if to say, "stop bothering my sleep if it's not for food!"

"Perhaps...you would consider bunking with the cubs until you have finer control of your new instincts, Keeper Ulric?"

"I'm not an animal!!" Nyx growled at Gentiana. 

He snatched the feed bucket up from the ground and stomped back inside to refill it—for the _cubs._ If a few pieces made it into his mouth rather than into the bucket, what was the big deal, really?

 

_\+ i._

" _You_ are in big trouble," Nyx told the little princeling he'd caught underneath him.

"Hrrrmmm?" Noct murmured at him, stretching his neck out elegantly and calling Nyx's attention to the long pale column of it, more delicious than any raw steak. 

Nyx rumbled a purr as he nibbled at what was on offer.

Wait, no. He couldn't let Noct distract him again. He raised his head with some difficulty, eyeing an unrepentant Noct with a stern expression. "You went off book, _your highness._ "

Noct squirmed beneath him, wriggling to press more of their bare skin together. Nyx's cock slipped between his thighs, and Noct tightened his legs around it, making Nyx gasp a sharp intake of breath. _Fuck,_ but Noct was going to be the death of him. 

"You gonna _punish_ me, Keeper Ulric?" the little tart was practically purring at him.

" _Yes,_ " Nyx told him with certainty, pinning Noct's shoulders as he thrust between his legs, and they both gasped this time when Nyx's cock brushed against Noct's, the soft sensitive skin sliding together. 

Noct was whining low in his throat, trying to roll his hips back for more. 

Nyx pushed him down again with a growl. "You'll take what you're given, your _highness_." 

Noct tipped his head back with a smile, gazing adoringly at Nyx with bright blue eyes that were almost identical to the triplet of cubs Nyx had named in his honor. They were certainly as _mischevious._ "I knew from the moment I saw you Nyx—" he murmured, wetting his lips with a tantalizing tease of red tongue—"that you were my _mate._ "

Nyx came with a low growl, leaning in to kiss that sinful mouth. The thought of Noct being his _mate,_ that he'd been so sure from the start—was intoxicating. 

Noct stretched his neck out again invitingly, and this time Nyx took the bait. He bit down with a bruising force, in an imitation of how Noct had bitten _him,_ the first time they'd done this, and changed Nyx's life forever. Noct jerked beneath him, moaning lusciously as he came, and there was nothing in the world Nyx wouldn't trade to have this, even staying in the fucking zoo with the cubs until he wasn't popping his tail out on the train or almost eating his coworkers and random passer-bys in the grocery store on accident.

Nyx rubbed his cheek against the prince's, _scenting_ him, so they'd smell of each other.

"You're the best thing that's ever happened to me," he whispered, quiet and solemn against Noct's mouth. He brushed kisses against his lips, over his cheeks, dropping a last one on his nose while Noct giggled and chased him with his own kisses, landing haphazardly all over Nyx's face.

"Love you too," he whispered back, reaching down to lace Nyx's fingers with his and hold them over his heart.


End file.
